Many Body Theory of Charge Transfer in Hyperthermal Atomic Scattering

We use the Newns-Anderson Hamiltonian to describe many-body electronic processes that occur when hyperthermal alkali atoms scatter off metallic surfaces. Following Brako and Newns, we expand the electronic many-body wavefunction in the number of particle-hole pairs (we keep terms up to and including a single particle-hole pair). We extend their earlier work by including level crossings, excited neutrals and negative ions. The full set of equations of motion are integrated numerically, without further approximations, to obtain the many-body amplitudes as a function of time. The velocity and work-function dependence of final state quantities such as the distribution of ion charges and excited atomic occupancies are compared with experiment. In particular, experiments that scatter alkali ions off clean Cu(001) surfaces in the energy range 5 to 1600 eV constrain the theory quantitatively. The neutralization probability of Na$^+$ ions shows a minimum at intermediate velocity in agreement with the theory. This behavior contrasts with that of K$^+$, which shows ... (7 figures, not included. Figure requests: [email protected])Comment: 43 pages, plain TeX, BUP-JBM-

Room Temperature Kondo effect in atom-surface scattering: dynamical 1/N approach

The Kondo effect may be observable in some atom-surface scattering experiments, in particular, those involving alkaline-earth atoms. By combining Keldysh techniques with the NCA approximation to solve the time-dependent Newns-Anderson Hamiltonian in the infinite-U limit, Shao, Nordlander and Langreth found an anomalously strong surface-temperature dependence of the outgoing charge state fractions. Here we employ the dynamical 1/N expansion with finite Coulomb interaction U to provide a more realistic description of the scattering process. We test the accuracy of the 1/N expansion in the spinless N = 1 case against the exact independent-particle solution. We then compare results obtained in the infinite-U limit with the NCA approximation and recover qualitative features found previously. Finally, we analyze the realistic situation of Ca atoms with U = 5.8 eV scattered off Cu(001) surfaces. Although the presence of the doubly-ionized Ca species can change the absolute scattered positive Ca yields, the temperature dependence is qualitatively the same as that found in the infinite-U limit. One of the main difficulties that experimentalists face in attempting to detect this effect is that the atomic velocity must be kept small enough to reduce possible kinematic smearing of the metal's Fermi surface.Comment: 15 pages, 10 Postscript figures; references and typos correcte

Chemical class specificity using self-assembled monolayers on SAW devices: Effects of adsorption time and substrate grain size

The authors report selectivity and sensitivity for 97-MHz SAW (surface acoustic wave) sensors functionalized with (COO{sup {minus}}){sub 2}/Cu{sup 2+}-terminated, organomercaptan-based, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Responses were obtained as a function of SAM formation time on thin Au films of controlled grain size. The authors find that the SAM films (1) preferentially adsorb classes of organic analytes according to simple chemical interaction concepts, (2) reversibly adsorb multilayers of some analytes well below their saturation vapor pressure, (3) adsorb more diisopropylmethylphosphonate (DIMP) at a given partial pressure as SAM solution-phase adsorption time increases, and (4) adsorb more DIMP at a given partial pressure as the grain size of the supporting Au film decreases

Ultra-smooth dry etching of GaAs using a hydrogen plasma pretreatment

The authors have attained extremely smooth etched surfaces on GaAs using a hydrogen plasma pretreatment before etching. The resultant morphology exhibits smooth surfaces since the etching proceeds uniformly through the GaAs without micromasking effects arising from a nonuniform surface oxide. They report the effects of hydrogen plasma treatments before RIE of GaAs in two different reactors using a SiCl{sub 4} plasma. Optimization of H{sub 2} plasma pretreatments has produced improvements in RMS roughness greater than 1 order of magnitude (22.4 to 1.51 nm)

Ultra-Smooth Dry Etching of GaAs Using a Hydrogen Plasma Pretreatment

AbstractWe have attained extremely smooth etched surfaces on GaAs using a hydrogen plasma pretreatment before etching. The resultant morphology exhibits smooth surfaces since the etching proceeds uniformly through the GaAs without micromasking effects arising from a nonuniform surface oxide. We report the effects of hydrogen plasma treatments before RIE of GaAs in two different reactors using a SiCI4 plasma. Optimization of H2 plasma pretreatments has produced improvements in RMS roughness greater than 1 order of magnitude (22.4 to 1.51 nm).</jats:p